Strength and Drive: The West Point Class of 1965

The Class of 1965 entered the Military Academy in July 1961. As cadets, they received a traditional West Point education but also studied new fields such as computers and nuclear physics. Upon graduation, members of the class received numerous national scholarships, including one Rhodes scholarship. During the Vietnam War members of the class received no less than one Medal of Honor, four Distinguished Service Crosses, one Air Force Cross, 94 Silver Stars, 5 Soldier's Medals, 175 Bronze Stars with V device for valor, and 129 Purple Hearts. In later years, members of the class served with distinction in Grenada, Panama, Iraq, and elsewhere. They became leaders in transforming the army after the Cold War into a much leaner, more agile, technologically advanced force. Those who left the service, whether after four years in uniform or more, contributed to the nation in a similarly impressive manner. As civilians they excelled in numerous fields and exhibited as much patriotism and "Strength and Drive" as those still in uniform. Whether in uniform or not, members of the class of 1965 served their communities and nation and never lost sight of the meaning of West Point's motto: "Duty, Honor, Country."

Brigadier General Robert Doughty retired in July 2005 after forty years of service in the US Army. He graduated from the US Military Academy in 1965 and received his PhD from Kansas University in 1979. In addition to his twenty years as the head of the Department of History at West Point, he served in a variety of assignments in the United States, Europe, and Vietnam. His awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, and Combat Infantry Badge. He is the author of many articles and four books, and he has received numerous awards including the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize from the Society for Military History.